• clouds,  landscape,  natural areas,  Pineridge Natural Area,  quotes

    Beyond the Horizon

    April 19, 2023
    Clouds over Pineridge Natural Area this past Saturday

    “Some people close their eyes to the horizons; some people sit and watch the horizons; some visit the horizons and some incredible people go beyond the horizons!”

    Mehmet Murat ildan

    As a photographer I am fascinated with horizons. I find something powerful in seeing an open, vast, and inviting horizon. And over the past 20 years I have been fascinated with the horizons we have in our lives, and for the same reasons. For me these horizons can be dreams we’ve carried for many years or one we had last night. They could be a vision or goal we’ve discovered. Maybe it’s a new relationship in our life or re-establishing a damaged one. And, what about a new challenge in life we need to face. These are only a few that quickly come to mind but I’m sure you can add to the list. What I pray for is that we be one of those incredible ones who moves beyond the horizons.

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  • Fujifilm X-T3,  landscape,  mountains,  natural areas,  quotes

    What else have I not seen?

    December 6, 2020

    “I don’t have a philosophy. I have a camera. I look into the camera and take pictures. My photographs are the tiniest part of what I see that could be photographed. They are fragments of endless possibilities.”

    Saul Leiter

    Fort Collins Natural Areas have become the place for me to go. I started going primarily because the coffee shops were not allowing dining in due to state mandates. So in March of 2020 I began making coffee at home and going to Pineridge Natural Area to journal, read, connect with nature and get in a walk. My first explorations of Pineridge were made in 2014 but then lost touch with it until March. Then in June of 2020 I discovered Reservoir Ridge which is only about 4 miles away. When I look at my archives there are twice as many images at Reservoir Ridge than Pineridge while only exploring it in half the time. I seem to be drawn to it in a more photographic way.

    For the past 5 months I’m out to Reservoir Ridge at least once a week. Yet, this past week was the first time I saw this old water pump, I mean really saw it. It sits along an irrigation ditch and a row of trees so I’ve seen it many times, but never really saw it. As soon as I saw the pump this past week something in my mind kicked in, I really saw it and envisioned the above image. I walked out there to it and accepted the gift. So, I wonder what else I’ve not seen out there. I’ll keep you posted.

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  • Documentary/Street,  Food,  lifestyles,  Photography

    An Apple

    December 8, 2017
    The Apple
    The Apple

    “The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.”

    Dorothea Lange

    As Eric and walked through the Behavioral Science Building on our way for coffee I noticed this apple sitting on the desk of a couple young girls. I found it intriguing so I asked if I could take a photo and was given permission. I took only one as I was in a hurry and didn’t want to disturb the two girls, after all finals are next week. I was even more intrigued by the image once I loaded it on my computer. Those are are not teeth marks but she seems to have used some tool like a scoop. Eric, as are many who do not have a camera hanging around their neck, commented how he would not have noticed the apple. 

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  • musings,  Vision

    What are we thinking?

    March 29, 2012

    Two Green Windows

    I had someone ask me if I wrote down my thoughts and feelings at the time I take my images. My answer was no, but that’s a good question to ponder. I’m not sure I go through such a process. I’m just moving along with my gut and intuition. I watch the light, the shadows, texture, color and of course the craft part of the exposure. We need a good exposure to help us communicate what we are seeing. But, I’ve never written down any thoughts or feelings at the time of exposure. So, I’ll ask you the same question, “Do any of you take notes at the time of exposure?”

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  • architecture,  doors,  quotes

    Let me have it.

    August 10, 2010
    Norfolk, Virginia

    “By managing the attention of your viewers, you guide them to the heart of the story and free them from the difficult task of wading through an ambiguous image and its distractions.”

    Vision and Voice by David duChemin

    Found this door walking along the streets of old Richmond near Virginia Commonwealth University. I was in search of a coffee shop called Rev It Up. I found the  shop and met the owners, Dave and Sharon, who are from Colorado. I enjoyed my mocha and she even gave me the extra shot (decaf).

    Anyway, the streets around the campus are loaded with wonderful architecture and bright colors. The distraction I find in this image is the reflection in the window, other than that I like. I would love to hear your critiques of this image. Is it too busy? Does it tell a story? Or am I just focusing on the colors? Let me have.

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  • Photography

    Don't Worry, Be Creative

    November 14, 2009
    Sea shell on the beach

    “Worrying about doing something new ends up stunting creative growth. Being creative does NOT require doing something new. It requires doing something that is authentically your real personal and true vision. If you take away anything from this blog post, I hope it’s that.”

    Scott Bourne

    What a powerful post Scott wrote for me, sort of like a personal letter. There are several nuggets in his post, I posted one of them a couple days ago. My history has included a lot of worry. As I’ve aged in years and have a few more experiences under my belt, those worries are far less frequent. I no longer work in engineering because I do not want to wake up in the middle of the night worrying about a problem that needs solved. In fact I could have used his quote back then. It nice to live the day as it unfolds before us and not struggle to make it way we want it. When I live the moment I can be more creative. Walking the beach for me is nothing new, done it a few times and love it. I’ll do it again, living the moment and see what creative juices flow without worries.

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  • Photography,  Plants/Nature

    Zoomed In

    August 30, 2009
    Morning Sunlight

    As photographers most of us have an assortment of lens to to choose from. Depending on what we are photographing we will use a wide angle, a telephoto or maybe a macro. By selecting a specific lens we have control of what we place in our view finders, vital to our vision. At one point I was carrying an assortment of lens that covered from 18mm to 400mm, just to make sure I had it all covered. Over the past couple of years I have decreased that range (and the weight of my camera bag) by narrowing down to 18-200mm and using 4 lens. I discovered having a wide range of focal length did not make me a better photographer.

    In the above image I used a Sigma 70-200mm f2.8 at 200mm to crop out the surrounding distractions. It helped me to create the image I wanted but that’s not the only thing that helped make this image. In order to eliminate all the background I needed to move in closer. To do that I used my feet. 🙂

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  • Photography

    Shooting Alone

    July 17, 2009
    A Snapshot

    I’m not ashamed to admit I carry my camera everywhere I go, you never know when photo opportunities will present themselves. When I head out for coffee or to the mall or to one of our nature areas, I will typically carry a shoulder bag with one camera, couple lenses and a flash. Almost feel naked if I didn’t have it with me. However, I realized this past weekend how differently I approach photo opportunities if I am with people or alone. Here’s my example.

    While walking with friends to an area near our hotel in search of a restaurant for dinner, I probably stopped a half dozen times to fire off a few shots, and by a few I mean 1-2 shots. But, this stopping and firing off images, which is normal for me, can put your friends in uncomfortable place. They want to eat and you’re taking photos? There are some who think I’m crazy but we know that is just not true. At other times they keep on walking knowing I will eventually catch up. I’ve even had friends point out subjects that catch their attention, “Hey, take a picture of that.” After returning to my hotel, I realized how I can limit myself in my ability to create an image. I do not approach my subject of interest the same when shooting alone or with friends. Does that mean I will stop carrying my camera when with friends? Probably not, I’d feel naked.

    Oh, and some friends will let you take snapshots of them also.

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